Food, thrills and stunning scenery were just some of the reasons North Wales specifically earned the accolade.

But the list also includes an ancient Inca site and a volcanic mountain.

1. Choquequirao, Peru

(Image: Mark Rowland)

Choquequiro in Peru took the top spot, boasting a “growing traveller buzz to see it ASAP” and offering as close an experience as possible to “exploring Machu Picchu before the hoardes and mass commerce," Lonely Planet explained.

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2. Taranaki, New Zealand

(Image: Creative Commons)

Halfway between Auckland and Wellington, Taranaki's oil and gas business bring enviable affluence.

New Plymouth is the regional hub, home to two art galleries, a provincial museum, and enough espresso joints to keep you humming, while behind the city, the moody volcanic cone of Mt Taranaki demands a visit.

3. The Azores, Portugal

(Image: Creative Commons)

For in-the-know travellers, says Lonely Planet , the Azores have long represented a beckoning blip on the radar of possible destinations. Recognition from Unesco and other organisations has helped that blip to pulse more brightly over the years.

4. North Wales

(Image: Getty/ nuvisionsphotography)

Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s Editorial Director, said: “We included North Wales in this year’s list of top ten regions because it deserves to be recognised on the global stage. It’s a stunning area with a vast array of activities on offer to keep travellers entertained."

5. South Australia

(Image: denisbin)

Gracious, relaxed Adelaide is capital of the driest state on the driest inhabited continent, but it boasts fine landscapes, fine festivals, fine food, and fine wine. There's beachy Glenelg, and gentrified Port Adelaide. Inland, Adelaide's winking plains rise to the Adelaide Hills, just 12 minutes up the freeway.

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9. Perak, Malaysia

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Clifftop temples, dam-flooded wilderness, a mining town now famous for chicken with beansprouts – Perak's highlights are as intriguing as they are varied, but somehow this rugged Malaysian region has never seized its share of the limelight

10. The Skellig Ring, Ireland

(Image: Creative Commons)

“Perhaps Ireland’s most charismatically wild and emerald stretch of coastline". Many undertake it as a detour from the Ring of Kerry, but it's a wonderful destination in its own right.

The Lonely Planet team were impressed with the way North Wales has reinvented itself as an “adventure playground” in recent years, saying: “Once upon a time the mountains and valleys of North Wales gave up a bounty of slate, copper and even gold; now this landscape, ringed with hills and rich with mythology, is a playground for hikers, mountain bikers and rock climbers.”

The view from the top of the zip wire at Zip World in Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda, Bangor

Tourists have been flocking to Wales in recent years, with visitor numbers crossing the 10 million mark for the first time in 2014.

Wales’ official adventure ambassador Bear Grylls said: “The beautiful, rugged and wild terrain of North Wales lends itself to so many activities and adventures, and I was thrilled to find out it’s been recognised in this way.

”The Bear Grylls Survival Academy is based on the beautiful Llyn Peninsula in North Wales, an area very close to my heart and a place that’s guaranteed to challenge even the most intrepid adventurers.”

Bear Grylls kayaking on the Llŷn Peninsula

Welsh adventurer Richard Parks added: “It’s wonderful to have been recognised in this way by such a prestigious institution as Lonely Planet.

“The outdoors, adventure and sport are such a large part of our culture and economy, and I hope this inspires more people to come and visit Wales, and enjoy everything that we have here.”

The list highlights the world’s top destinations and experiences for the year ahead. Coming top was Choquequiro in Peru, which was described as “exploring Machu Picchu before the hordes and mass commerce”.

Ireland’s Skellig Ring, which featured in the last scene of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was another contender.

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Editorial Director Tom Hall said: “We included North Wales in this year’s list of top ten regions because it deserves to be recognised on the global stage. It’s a stunning area with a vast array of activities on offer to keep travellers entertained. North Wales has also become a haunt of in-the-know foodies, so however visitors get their kicks, once they’ve worked up an appetite, they’ll also be well catered for. North Wales is a gem and should be on every traveller’s radar.”

Snowdonia Llyn Bochlwyd

Experts from Lonely Planet, which is the world’s leading guidebook publisher, spent time in almost every destination in the world in order to pick their favourites.

The destinations selected have meet specific criteria, whether something special is going on in the year ahead, if there’s been recent development and a lot of buzz about the place, or if it offers travellers new things to see or do.